Marzipancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup and Toasted Coconut

Happy my birthday month to you! We pushed through January together like absolute soldiers, and if you’re reading this then you too have made it through to the other side. The happier side, the side that’s just a little closer to spring and sunshine and, most notably in my world, the side on which I turn 21..

On February 13th, I will reach an age that makes it impossible for me to argue that people who refer to me as an adult are wrong. At 18 the world is all like ‘whatever, you can drink, call me when you’ve spent three hours on hold to HMRC and we’ll talk’. The years after that all blur together in a late teen but not-quite-proper-actual-grownup haze. But I think now, at this point, I’ve just got to accept it. This is adulthood. I’ve arrived, and I can’t leave.

We can talk more about the sense of impending doom that I already feel about the passing of time a little closer to my actual birthday, if I start now then you’ll just despise me too much to wish me many happy returns when the day arrives. Milestone birthday panic aside, shall we talk about the actual most important thing about February? I am of course referring to pancake day.

Pancake day jogs a firm and fond childhood memory for me – and I don’t have many firm childhood memories, my brain retains little to no information that doesn’t involve food, maybe that’s a specific psychological condition that hasn’t been discovered yet. Probably not. Where was I? Pancake day..

I went to my primary school’s after school club every day when I was a kid because my Mum had a 9-5, and they would always celebrate pancake day. Most children weren’t there every day, so they would make pancakes all week to make sure nobody missed out and I, as a lifer, got to eat pancakes every damn day. Monday through Friday. Other kids might have gotten the pleasure of getting home from school in time for kids TV but I got to eat pancakes every single day for a whole week every February. Who wins that round? I do. Duh.

The blueberry syrup I made for this recipe is, originally (I think), the work of Nigella Lawson. I remember it from the time I used one of her books to make an anniversary breakfast for my Grandparents when I was about 14. Just heating up berries and maple syrup makes for the most perfect pancake topping, I’m serious. If you haven’t tried it before, I urge you to make it your “something new” and/or “something blue” for Pancake Day 2016. (Pancake Day is the same as weddings, right??)

I’m using blueberries all the way from Chile. Yes, I’m usually a seasonal eater, and hope that one day, after the apocalypse, we all have to live off the land closest to us. For now though, it’s nice to have blueberries on pancake day. So I’m excusing myself. Want more blueberry lowdown? Get some on the Seasonal Berries website.

I know that looks a lot like grated cheese, but it is in fact grated marzipan. Grated marzipan that you’ll be scattering over your pancakes once they’re almost done, then folding over to create a pancake-meets-almond croissant vibe. I’ve called it the marzipancake. Am I a genius? Sometimes I have my suspicions.

Chuck the flour in a big mixing bowl with the salt and create a well in the centre. Crack the eggs in with a splash of the milk and all of the oil. Start whisking from the centre, slowly bringing all the flour into the mixture until it’s all incorporated (it’ll be paste-like).

Gradually pour in the rest of the milk, whisking all the while, until you have a batter the consistency of single cream.

Just before you cook your pancakes, lightly toast the desiccated coconut in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Keep moving it around the pan until it begins to turn golden brown then get it out of the pan ASAP before it burns. Wipe the frying pan round so that it’s ready for pancakeing.

Put the blueberries (washed and patted dry) in a saucepan with the maple syrup and begin to cook on a low heat, keep an eye on it whilst you make the pancakes. Towards the end of pancakeing, whack the heat up and let it bubble aggressively for a few minutes then take it off the heat and pour into something pretty to be served.

If you’ve got cooking spray, now’s the time to use it. Otherwise drizzle the tiniest bit of oil into your frying pan on a medium heat then ladle in a little bit of pancake batter. Swirl it round the pan to make sure the entire surface is covered then pour any excess back into the bowl of batter. This ensures pancakes of the right thickness, I’m very grateful for this tip and I hope it changes your life as it did mine.

Cook for about thirty seconds on one side, flip if you dare (I do, and I’m getting pretty good). Once flipped, sprinkle over some grated marzipan and let it sit for about 15 seconds, then fold one half of the pancake over the other and let it cook for another 15 seconds with the marzipan sandwiched in between – kind of like if you were making an omelette or quesadillas. If this doesn’t make sense, shout at me on Twitter and I’ll do better.

Keep warm whilst you repeat for all 8 pancakes then serve with piping hot blueberry syrup and delicious toasted coconut.

Be sure to look out for one more pancake recipe this month, it involves a dollop or two of hassle-free homemade tomato jam. I think you’re really going to like it. Byeeeee.

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11 Comments

Oh boy, why have I never thought to put marzipan in pancakes?! You’re a bleddy genious, and i’m totally going to try this. I may even make pancakes for pudding tonight in your honour, to go alongside my leftover falafels from last night (yep, there were leftovers – I was STUFFED and couldn’t eat another bite last night) Alice xx

Actually you’re wrong, the most important thing about February is my birthday 🙂

I absolutely adore the sound of these pancakes as we’re big marzipan fans in my house. I think I’ve got a chunk leftover from Christmas so I might have to sneak some into a batch of pancakes sometime. I love the sound of your blueberry syrup too, I regularly have blueberries and maple syrup with my pancakes (partly for the taste and partly for the fact they’re good for a bit of Instagramming!) but I’ve never tried melting the two together – I will be doing soon.

Ooh wow! These look fabulous, the marzipan sounds a genius idea to me! I shall have to make these ASAP as a trial run for pancake day ..that way I can devour them twice! Can you believe my hubby doesn’t like pancakes nor marzipan…even more for me then! #FoodYearLinkUp
Angela x